An Account of the Experiences and Observations of One Onyx Plutonian During His Exploration of the Independant State of Caledon

There are times when I am amazed by the way circumstances seem to weave themselves into just the right pattern according to ones current situation or frame of mind. I have a few thoughts to share on this that require more than the 140 characters permitted by Twitter.

In this particular case, the Animus will be travelling to a distant place this weekend to celebrate the retirement of a dear friend from the US Navy. We leave on the morrow and so I will be mostly incommunicado until at least Monday night. Looking over the various Steamlands calendars I see that I will unfortunately miss some promising events. On Friday there will be a welcome party and concert by Tanstaafl Constantine in Cape Wrath. Saturday’s events include the Marzipan Teahouse Formal Ball and a meeting of the Caledon Paranormal Society in which the topic of discussion will be “Soul Mates and Paranormal connections to water” (topics of particular interest to me at the moment). This Sunday the New Champagne Rooms in Babbage Square ((End the Tyranny!))Ehem! will host a Music Appreciation Night with Joshua Pfeiffer from the Vernian Process.

And now to my point. As we are preparing for this little excursion my thoughts have turned somewhat nostalgic, remembering the Animus’ period of service and the experiences he had. So, imagine my surprise and delight when I tuned into Radio Riel’s main stream this morning and found that today’s From the Library program is entitled “On the Sea”. How wonderful that I, and all the other Radio Riel listeners, get to enjoy this selection of nautical themed music on the eve of my excursion to the sea. It is perhaps also serendipitous that the Caledon Paranormal Society should be discussing the paranormal connections to water this weekend.

Please, make no mistake, I do not intend to imply that this is all about me. I just find it intriguing that all these happenings coincide with my current state of mind. Besides, this is my journal after all, and if I want to indulge in a little self-centered contemplation, whose to stop me. I beg your pardon, dear reader, if this ungentlemanly display offends.

By way of amends let me offer this. One of my all time favorite pieces of verse is Sea Feverby John Maesfield. I would often recite it before a major deployment or when the call of the sea was particularly strong. So, now, for your enjoyment I give you

Sea Fever

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,
And a gray mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull’s way and the whale’s way, where the wind’s like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.